BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Committed to providing its customers with even more book options, Books-A-Million (BAM!), through its partnership with On Demand Books, will now offer print-on-demand books through the Espresso Book Machine (EBM). The first ever full-color self-publishing EBM machine will launch this November in the South Portland, Maine Books-A-Million and the Brookwood Village Books-A-Million store located in Birmingham, Alabama.
“We are excited to be the first retailer to install On Demand Books’ inaugural full color self-publishing Espresso Book Machines in two of our premier locations. This offering means something special for BAM! customers, who will now have access to a virtual inventory of seven million titles instantly available to them,” said Terrance G. Finley, CEO of Books-A-Million, Inc. “Our customers will also be able to print their self-published works or any user generated content, photo books, recipes, etc. in a matter of minutes and pick it up in our store.”
“On Demand Books is delighted that the EBM will be installed at Books-A-Million stores and to partner with a premier leader in the industry,” said Dane Neller, CEO of On Demand Books. “With the EBM, Books-A-Million will be able to provide a self and custom publishing center, as well as add a catalogue of over seven million titles to its current book offering.”
The EBM is the only ‘digital-to-print at retail’ solution on the market. Within minutes, the EBM can produce a bookstore quality paperback with color cover, in any standard trim size, at point of sale. The content is fed to the machine via EspressNet, On Demand Books’ growing digital network of titles. These titles are available through partnerships with Google, Lightning Source, Harper Collins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan, McGraw Hill, and others, and includes content from publishers like Random House, W.W. Norton, and Simon & Schuster.
EBM books are priced according to length, and the Espresso Book Machine can print any book between 5”x5” and 8”x10”, 50 to 600 pages.
“Through this process BAM! customers can simply search online or in the store for that elusive title, and then leave the store with their perfect-bound paperback in less time than it takes to make and enjoy a caramel macchiato,” said Mary Gallagher, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Books-A-Million.
Trained EBM staffers will be on hand in each location to assist aspiring authors with file preparation and book design and are prepared to help them handle the technical aspects of publishing. Customers can print anything from memory books, art projects, or thesis pieces, to a keepsake of Grandmother’s cherished recipes, and authors publishing through the EBM can share their works through the international EBM sales channel. BAM! offers a wide range of publishing packages and services to suit the customer’s needs.
“We are committed to assisting local authors as they work to get their written masterpieces off the ground,” said Gallagher. “It is our hope that many of the new books found on the shelves at BAM! will be printed and bound by this cutting edge printing equipment.”
For package options and details about the Espresso Book Machine, please contact the EBM specialist at 205-870-0213.
About Books-A-Million, Inc.
Books-A-Million, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading book retailers and sells on the Internet at www.booksamillion.com. The Company presently operates over 253 stores in 33 states and the District of Columbia. The Company operates large superstores under the names Books-A-Million (BAM!), Books & Co. and 2nd & Charles and traditional bookstores operating under the names Bookland and Books-A-Million. The common stock of Books-A-Million, Inc. is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol BAMM. For more information, visit the Company’s corporate website at www.booksamillioninc.com.
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